


Breathe

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Game of Thrones Season 8 [13]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Not Jaime Or Brienne, POV Jaime Lannister, Reflection, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-02 07:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18806218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Brienne follows Jaime to King’s Landing, arriving just in time to see Cersei’s end play out.





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> For “holding hands” from [this list](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/post/184063776563/send-me-a-number-along-with-a-ship-and-ill-write) of prompts.

Jaime struggles to breathe. It feels like the air has been knocked out of him as he struggles to his feet and makes himself move away. He sees his brother off to the side talking to Sansa Stark but doesn’t stop. Not until he sees her.

Brienne is leaning against one of the walls of the throne room. Her hair is a mess of blood and dirt, but it still seems to glow in the evening sunlight spilling in from the window beside her.

Jaime still can’t believe that she’s here. That after everything he said to her, and the way he left her crying in the courtyard that she would come here. He knows it wasn’t completely for him. Her lady was coming and she had a duty to follow her. But the way she looked at him when she saw him for the first time since he left her told him he didn’t exactly have nothing to do with her decision.

They haven’t had a chance to talk. Chaos had been raining down around them for what felt like hours. It wasn’t until he felt Cersei go limp under him, her eyes staring lifelessly up at him that the room seemed to still.

He knows he did what he had to do. Cersei had had part of the city burned just to prove that she could do it. That control was hers. But she’d been wrong. Seeing how far she was willing to go had been the final push Jaime needed. She never saw him coming. At least not until his hand settled around her throat. Even then she continued to laugh. Until her breath only came in ragged gasps, before stopping all together.

It’s not a sound he’ll soon forget.

Now all he wants is to be by Brienne’s side. To make sure she’s really, truly safe.

He’s not expecting her to forgive him. Not after the way he hurt her. But he has to try. He owes both of them that.

“Brienne.”

Her name falls hoarsely from his lips, barely more than a whisper,  but she still hears him.

He has so many things he wants to say but now that he's hear they don't seem like enough.

She doesn't look angry. Maybe it would be easier if she did. He deserves that anger.

Podrick whispers something to her and starts to walk away, but before stopping to give Jaime a warning glare. “Don't hurt her again.”

“I have no intention to,” Jaime assures him.

“Good because if you do I'll make The Mountain look merciful.”

Brienne gasps behind him,  “Podrick!”

“I'm just giving some friendly advice Ser,” Podrick says, not taking his eyes off of Jaime.

“And it has been received,” Jaime tells him.

Podrick nods and moves away, leaving Jaime and Brienne standing alone. Any other time Jaime would be grateful. But right now he's still not sure where they stand.

“I'm sorry,” Jaime says. “I don't expect that to be enough to make up for the hurt I caused you. But I am. Leaving you like that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But I needed you safe. I was worried what Cersei would do if she saw you and figured out how I feel about you.”

He remembers the look of rage on Cersei's face when Brienne had walked in. How she'd looked between her and Jaime with narrowed eyes and then ordered Gregor Clegane to grab her. Her fury had only grown when Jaime stepped in.

By then parts of the city were burning and he knew more would follow if he didn't do something. So he had.

“I had to stop her,” Jaime says, his voice breaking. “I had to make sure you were safe.  It's not an excuse. I know. But it's the truth. All I can ask now is that you try to forgive me and give me another chance to show you just what you mean to me.”

Brienne stares at him a moment, her face unreadable. Part of him is afraid she'll turn him away. It would be what he deserves.  

Finally, she nods and holds at her hand. Jaime grasps it, clutching it like a lifeline. To him it is. She uses her grip to pull him closer, and rests their heads together. She doesn’t speak. Not yet.

They both know there will be a time for words later. For further apologies and forgiveness and all the words that they’ve never let themselves say. For now though, they just need this moment. This quiet moment of peace where they allow themselves to breathe again.

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to get one more thing done before the episode airs in a few hours. Then I have no doubt I’ll be back to fix whatever other mess we’re left with. For now, I’m trying to stay hopeful.
> 
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


End file.
